Traditional Catholic Visualism

What the Hell?

This is a cover a new book I saw on B&N. It features on the cover a statue commemorating a meeting between Pope Paul VI, and Metropolitan Meliton of Chalcedon. Evidently the statue is based on an actual occurance of Paul VI prostrating himself before the Metropolitan, and kissing his feet. I have yet to find a full picture of the statue, or the event itself. (If you find one, drop a link in the combox). Now, I am first guy who approves of increased friendship with the Orthodox. However, the question with this is: What the Hell?

It’s an Orthodox book (by Metropolitan Athanasios of Helioupolis), what do you expect to find on the cover? It’s an Orthodox book cover, for heavens sake, hardly a scandal. Good grief buddy. I just ordered a copy for the attractive cover as much as the subject.

I’m surprised you guys aren’t familiar with this major bit of history.

“In an unprecedented gesture of humility, Pope Paul VI kissed the feet of Metropolitan Meliton of Chalcedon, envoy of Patriarch Demetrios I, who was head of the Eastern Orthodox Church, during a Mass at the Sistine Chapel in Rome in 1975. The two men were commemorating the 10th anniversary of the lifting of excommunications that the churches of Constantinople and Rome had conferred on each other during the 11th century. Taken aback by the pontiff’s dramatic action, Meliton attempted to kiss the Pope’s feet in return but the Pope prevented him from doing so. Meliton instead kissed his hand.”

Paul VI’s humility is to be admired perhaps, but not entirely fitting for one who is the living symbol of the Roman Catholic Church. When a pontiff makes a gesture it is made, at least in the view of many, on behalf of the Church. Hence the fact that pomp and elaboration in liturgical dress ought not be construed as personal vanity on his part. However humble and well-intentioned his gesture may have been, my own unworthy opinion is that he ought not have done it.

The incident occurred in 1975 though I have not been able to find a photo of it. It was an act of humility towards the representative of the Ecumenical Patriarch. It might also have been in response to the very remarkable (from an Orthodox POV) things said by Pat. Athenagoras of Constantinople about the Pope whom he referred to as the First Among the Bishops. Strictly speaking of course this is an Orthodox title for the Pope. But the Pope is not in Communion with Orthodoxy so it was more than a little scandalous at the time.

I knew of the embrace of Athenagoras, but I was never aware of the foot kissing with the Metropolitan of Chalcedon, nor the ring trading with Canterbury. I knew about retiring the tiara, yet continue to hope Benedict revives/retrieves that tradition. The current pope doesn’t seem capable of repeating such mistakes, or very much worse, kissing a Koran.

I think Paul VI was a good pope in a bad time. The Eastern Church probably stood by him more than many in the West.

When he came out with Humanae Vitae the world was making fun of him e.g. pictures of him wagging his finger saying, ‘The Pill is a no, no!’ etc.. At the time even Bishop Conferences like those in Canada were confusing the faithful. And of course, many priests, sisters and theologians were teaching heresy. Today, at least in Church, it is a picnic compared to the late 60’s and early 70’s.

One person who immediately came to Pope Paul’s defense after Humanae Vitae was Athenagoras, the Ecumenical Patriarch saying what we all know today that this was Christian teaching, the only possible Christian teaching.

I imagine he thought that he was following Christ when he kissed this man’s feet – trying to show him by his actions that he was ‘the Servant of the Servants of God.’ (A title given by the popes to themselves in documents of note)
“He that is greatest among you shall be your servant”. is what Christ said to explain why he needed to wash his disciples feet.’ Peter himself was a bit scandalized by this.

Whether the Metropolitan of Chalcedon took it that way know one knows but Pope Paul as Pope Benedict had in his heart the unification of Christians. “That they might all be one”. (One of Christ’s most fervent desires since he prayed it on the night before he died.)

I guess I like underdogs but I always had an affection for Paul VI because those of us who were young and faithful to the Church in those days knew how strong the headwinds were that we were facing. I always assumed his headwinds were hurricanes.

There is more to the history of this action. During the time of the schism, it was requested that the Patriarch at the time of the mutual excommunications smooth things in his submission to Rome by kissing the feet of the Pope.

Pope Paul VI’s actions harkened back to that event in a gesture of humility. The meaning of the action was not lost on the Orthodox, and set the tone for further relations with the Orthodox. Scandal was left only to those who were ignorant of the action’s history, including the press.

Yes, Paul VI was a dramatic and complex character, but his gestures – which require great courage – were not always understood in the way that he intended them to be. The above is a case in point – I think that only Alan Phipps has it right. Sometimes, however, the dramatic gestures were understood only too well, as for instance, when Pope Paul thoroughly embarrassed his Turkish hosts during his 1967 visit to Constantinople by falling on his knees in prayer at Hagia Sophia, despite immense pressure from them that there should be no public prayer in this ancient church, which was later a mosque, and is now a museum…

WELL WHAT THE HELL DID YOU EXPECT,PAUL 6TH’S BOSS WAS THE NUT CASE THAT STARTED THE BS CALLED VATICAN TWO (RONCOLLI) JOHN 23 AND THE FREEMASON MONTINI AKA PAUL 6TH JUST CONTINUED THE MASONIC ASPOSTASY IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. BUT BOY ARE THE LIBERAL REVISIONIST AKA PROGRESSIVES PISSED AT THE ELEVATION OF BENEDICT 16TH. THE LIBERAL SOCIALIST BS IS COMING TO A CRASHING HALT. DO THESE PERVERTS WERE MASONS, DON’T KNOW BOUT JP2

Have you ever read the Gospel of saint Luke? What the Lord said to saint Peter? “…when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32). Have you ever read church history… about the SUFFERINGS of the eastern christians from their western brothers….??? Did you know that Pope Paul VI when he entered the desecrated Basilica of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (Istambul) went to the exact place where was the altar kneeled, wept for the division of the Church & ask pardon for the blasphemy of the division. All these gestures of the Pope had only one meaning: He asked forgiveness from Christ for all the sins commited by the western christians against the eastern brothers, because much of the blame for the great Schism was of the western christians.
Forgiveness from God & from the brothers asked also Pope John Paul II when he visited the Primate of Athens Arcbishop Christodoulos in 2001.
These facts do not have the meaning of an “orthodox” victory over the humiliated Popes. These are the signs of the near UNION IN TRUTH & LOVE among the Sister Churches of the West and the East.

One important piece of information that is missing is that during that 14 Dec 1975 mtg, when Pope Paul VI went to his knee, the Metropolitan–who was surprised!–tried to get to his knee/s, too, to kiss the feet of Paul VI; in the end, he kissed the hand of Paul VI. This was not a one-sided event.